Queens residents divided over concert noise at Forest Hills Stadium
FOREST HILLS, Queens (WABC) -- At the iconic Forest Hills Stadium on Friday, thousands flocked to hear a world-famous DJ. You could feel the bass pulsing through the neighborhood - but some residents say that's the problem.
"The house shakes. I'm a doctor, sometimes I work overnight. When I come back, I cannot sleep - imagine if you are 72 hours without sleep and I work a 24-hour shift," said Dr. Omayma Zaher.
Dr. Zaher lives right across the street - from her bedroom window, you can hear everything. She says sometimes there are concerts three nights a week.
"One time there was a stranger sleeping between the two houses. Some of them, I'm not saying all, they get high, scream and yell until 1 o'clock," added Dr. Zaher.
That is why a group of residents, The Forest Hills Gardens Corporation, filed a lawsuit against the West Side Tennis Club, which operates the venue. Residents say the crowds and the street closures also bring other headaches.
"We had to park a little bit further down and pay for parking," says Jasmine.
A spokesperson for Forest Hills Stadium told Eyewitness News that every show ends no later than 10:00 p.m.
He says millions of dollars have been spent working on reducing sound for people living in the neighborhood.
An attorney for the Forest Hill Stadium said a recent court ruling on part of the lawsuit shows progress has been made.
"Forest Hills Stadium, an iconic and popular venue that anchors New York's vibrant live music scene, has poured tremendous resources into being a good neighbor. We are gratified that the Court dismissed the vast majority of the claims and made clear that concerts at the Stadium are authorized under the relevant legal documents. We are confident that the remaining claims will also be dismissed," attorney Akiva Shapiro said.
Whether you love or hate these concerts, it seems to depend on which side of the stadium you live on.
On the west side of the stadium, it seems that most of the residents love the open streets, and they say the noise has gotten better.
"In 2021, the windows were rattling, there was really loud vibrations, everything was loud, but now you could tell because I actually went to the concert, the amplifications, it's a lot less, so it's not as bad as it was before.
"If you want to hear the concert, which some of us do, you walk over and stand around or sometimes bring a lawn chair and listen outside the walls - that's nice," added resident Jaice Max.
George Wright says people embrace it.
"They have a little block party and bring the kids out, they have pizza on this side," Wright says.
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